Behind The Glass
by Amanda Hawthorn
Summary: The guard behind the desk stared up at him emotionlessly, sliding a clip board across the desk. She didn't care that he was fighting to hold himself together because he was within minutes of seeing Fiona again. spoilers for 6x03


**Disclaimer: Burn Notice still doesn't belong to me unfortunately.**

**A/N: thank you to everyone who has reviewed my stories and for all of your PM's, favourite author and story adds.**

**Special thanks and much love to JediSkysinger who read through this for me. Much love also to Purdy's Pal who is away this weekend and to the lovely DaisyDay. **

**Special thanks also to LeeLee who is such a wonderful person and all of my friends on Twitter. This is for you**

**Spoilers for 6x03**

_**The guard behind the desk stared up at him emotionlessly, sliding a clip board across the desk. She didn't care that he was fighting to hold himself together because he was within minutes of seeing Fiona again**_

Behind the Glass

He hadn't expected it to be so hard, but it was. He'd been waiting for this moment for weeks now and he'd been preparing himself for every kind of scenario for when he arrived at the prison, but the second he stepped through the heavy doors that led inside he felt his heart sink.

That's when the first wave of emotions hit him, but he swallowed them down as he tried not to register the stark empty walls that housed the woman he loved. She was a beautiful vibrant woman, one who didn't deserve to be confined in a place like this. Just the thought of her waking up every day to _this_ etched a pain inside his heart that almost took his breath from his lungs. She was here because of him, because he'd been so blinded by his need to protect her, but in the end she had turned the tables and saved him from himself.

The guard behind the desk stared up at him coolly, sliding a clip board across the desk. She didn't care that he was fighting to hold himself together because he was within minutes of seeing Fiona again. What concern was it of hers that he couldn't sleep at night because he couldn't bear to be in the huge bed alone?

Handing over his wallet, sunglasses, phone and keys he waited for her to pass him a visitors badge before she nodded towards another guard who indicated for him to follow. Turning towards her, every step felt heavier than the last until he was shown into a tiny little room which was divided by a solid glass barrier.

Michael's heart thumped wildly inside his chest when he moved towards the chair and sat down. He tried to think of what he was going to say, but every time he thought of seeing her his throat closed up with the lump that refused to budge. He'd been close to tears the whole time she'd been gone, even though he had done a good job of hiding it. It was only now when he finally realised how close he was to seeing her that he could feel his walls crumbling.

Clasping his hands together he looked down at the floor, trying with everything he possessed to be strong, she didn't need to see him falling apart. He wanted her to know that he was fighting for her, that they were _all _fighting for her and that she was worth every second.

A loud buzz and the sound of a door being unlocked brought his attention back to the glass. Swallowing the lump in his throat he took a breath and tried to steady his rampaging heart, but the second he saw her everything he'd been trying to convince himself of suddenly crumbled to leave him stripped bare.

His eyes met hers and he felt his whole body react. She was stunning, the most beautiful sight he had ever seen but he was struggling to focus on her through the tears that welled in his eyes. He tried desperately to keep in control and he tried to force a smile for her but his mouth wouldn't work. Instead of a smile he could feel his lips quiver and no amount of swallowing back the lump in his throat was helping this time.

Fiona's eyes were on him the second she came into the room, her tiny frame dwarfed by the orange prison garb she wore. He watched her every move and tried not to think that it was taking forever for her to sit into the seat opposite the glass. He could see that she was struggling just as much as he was but by the way she was looking at him, her eyes taking in every part of him, it was as if she was seeing him for the first time.

Nodding his head he swallowed hard but the tears refused to disappear. Looking towards the phone he picked it up and watched her as she moved to do the same. He didn't know what to say to her that could convey just how much he loved her but he should have known she knew him so well.

Before he could speak she spoke first, her voice crushing whatever little resistance he had left. His whole body shook and he tried to control his tempestuous emotion when she struggled just as much as he did.

"Now you see why I never wear orange," she told him through a tear soaked voice, her eyes welling as she watched him.

"You look beautiful," Michael told her, feeling his voice break as he tried to get his words out but he just couldn't seem to stop the tears from flowing.

Her eyes were on him and he just couldn't seem to keep himself together anymore, not when his only reason for living was just a short distance away. "I'm going to get you out," he blurted, "I promise you that…and we're getting close…the CIA—"

"I love you too, Michael," her voice cut through his and just hearing those words caused him to crumble before her eyes. He'd read the note she left him a thousand times and each time her words of love broke him apart, but to hear her say them caused his walls to break down before her.

"We don't have much time," she told him brokenly, her own sorrow flowing from her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that."

Nodding his head he felt the tears roll down his face but he didn't even attempt to brush them away. As he watched her all he could think of was the first day he'd met her and how she had taken his breath away then too.

"You know what I was thinking about the other day?" he asked softly, the emotion in his voice constricting his words but he pushed onwards when he saw her shake her head. "Remember that dingy little bar in Belfast, the Black Sand Pub."

The name sparked recognition in her mind, merging with the tears that swamped her eyes. "You mean where we first met?"

Michael nodded through his tears, remembering that day as if it were only yesterday. He chuckled through his sorrow even though the tears still flowed, but he was losing himself in the memories of their first meeting.

"And I made the mistake of asking…would ya like ta dance… an' ya pulled a snub-nosed revolver on me. "

Fiona nodded, her tears falling as she clutched the phone against her mouth. "Tha' I did…" her body shook as she was immersed into the same memories as he was. "And you said…"

"I assume tha' means yes," he told her, laughing and crying at the same time. He could see her eyes flood when he spoke but he couldn't seem to stop speaking of that first time, the one where he had fallen in love with her within seconds.

_He'd seen her across the room as soon as he entered through the bar door and he had to pull himself together when he realised that her picture was nothing compared to the real thing. All he was supposed to do was get close to her and earn her trust, but he knew the second he saw her that this wasn't going to work._

_His palms were sweating and his heart was beating wildly inside his chest. She was captivating, the mere sight of her rendering him powerless as he slowly made his way towards her. _

"_Would ya like ta dance?" he asked her, surprised by his own boldness. No other woman had ever caused this reaction in him before._

_Before he could even react Fiona Glenanne turned on him, holding a snub nosed revolver on him. The glare in her eyes didn't even deter him, instead he stepped a little closer feeling something ignite between them._

"_I assume tha's a yes?" he asked with a smile as he already reached for her hand._

_Fiona's eyes dropped down to his hand on hers before she lifted her gaze back up to his. The men behind her were already on their feet coming towards her but she turned to them and shook her head. Lowering her gun she handed it to the nearest man and cast him a look that shot down his argument before it could emerge._

"_Well now," she spoke, her fingers curling around Michael's hand. "Yer mighty sure a yerself thare aren't ya?"_

"_Tha only thin' I'm sure of righ' now is tha' yer tha prettiest lass in tha room," he told her with a cocky smile, tugging her towards the dance floor._

"_An' ya got a pretty tongue yerself," she mused when he pulled her with him. "Do ya have a name?"_

"_Only if ya tell me yers?" he grinned when he manoeuvred her into the centre of the dance floor to tug her towards him. The touch of her body against his sent a bolt of desire to course through him and the static they created between them was electrifying._

"_Okay, bu' I warn ya if ya try anythin' tha men over thare tha' are watchin' ya every move…thay're me brothers and I wouldn' want ta piss tham off."_

_Michael lifted his eyes to the five men that were glaring at him, each of them with their arms folded menacingly. Undeterred he wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him while he took hold of her hand to thread their fingers together._

"_Well, we can't have tha' now can we?" he grinned seductively, knowing that she was just as enamoured as he was. "Me names's Michael…Michael McBride."_

"_Well then Michael," she smiled, sinking into his body as they swayed to the music. "Nice ta meet ya…I'm Fiona."_

"_Do ya think yer brother's are goin' ta let me take ya ou' sometime?" he asked softly, moving his hand up and down her side. "Cos ya know…I really woul' like ta take ya out."_

_Fiona sighed against him and lifted her head up to look into his eyes, a slow blush forming over her cheeks. "I like ya McBride, ya move fast…my kind a man."_

"_Yeah?" he asked with a dazzling smile as he dipped his head lower to hover over her lips. _

_Whatever happened next had happened so fast the he didn't have time to react. One moment he was hovering close to a beautiful woman, aching to kiss her and the next he was on the floor with an angry man above him._

"_SEAN!"_

"_Ya keep ya hands off me sista," he warned, punching Michael squarely in the jaw before two of the other Glenanne brother's pulled him off._

"_Keep ya hands offa him ya idjit," Fiona growled when her brother broke free to only to shoot a glare at the man on the floor._

_When he'd stalked away, Fiona moved towards Michael and held out her hand for him, pulling him back onto his feet. Within seconds his arms were back around her body as if nothing had happened, only this time he kissed her before she could pull away…_

The more he spoke the more Fiona sobbed. She clutched the phone against her just wishing it was his hand she was holding. Closing her eyes she nodded whenever he recalled another time, and another place that had brought them together and she wished with all of her heart that the glass between them would just disappear.

All too soon the door opened and the guard came back inside, stepping up behind her before she even had a chance to say goodbye. Taking the phone out of her hand he put it back into its cradle and pulled her out of her seat, uncaring that she was desperately trying to say one last goodbye to the man on the other side of the glass.

Standing up Michael placed his hand on the glass barrier as his eyes filled with tears once again. He had to say it, even though she couldn't hear him. He had to tell her.

When she turned around to take one last look at him through the glass before the guard pulled her out of the room, she saw the man she loved mouth the words that she knew he had never been able to say.

"_I love you."_

Tears flooded her eyes again and she nodded once more, mouthing those same words back to him before she was taken away, but she knew that last image of him would stay with her forever.

The second she was gone Michael slumped back down in his seat and tried to pull himself back together. He had to get her out of here, he needed to hold her against him again. She was… everything…

End


End file.
